Retail sales operations usually incur losses due to stolen merchandise. High-value items in particular are vulnerable to theft. Accordingly, retail operators sometimes attach a security tag to high value items, such as a piece of clothing. If a would-be thief moves an item with a security tag past a security gate near an exit of the retail sales environment, then a security alert may sound to indicate to retail personnel that the item has not been purchased.
When a customer presents an item with a security tag at a point-of-sale area, a sales clerk may remove the security tag(s) at the time of purchase. In some cases, however, a retail sales clerk may cooperate with a thief in a so-called “sweetheart” arrangement wherein the sales clerk removes the security tag without the customer purchasing the item. Security tags may thus fail to prevent theft.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more secure security tag arrangement for preventing theft and fraud in retail sales environments.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.